– A young couple is walking along the beach of Southern Cross Island at night. When a shooting star streaks across the sky, after asking what the girl wished for, the boy (Sugata Shindo) teases her (Wako Agemaki), saying “she can go to Tokyo if she wished”.
Wako is not amused and while telling him not to do that anymore, she notices another boy on the beach.
Sure enough, another boy is laying unconscious on the ground. Sensing that the boy is dying, she administers CPR to him.

– The next day, as the boy wakes up, he proclaims that “he made it to his new stage”.
Wako and Sugata walk in the room. As Sugata introduces himself to the boy, he and Wako stare at each other, which only gets interrupted by her stomach growling.

– During breakfast, Wako and Sugata are surprised to learn that the boy (Takuto Tsuanshi) had missed the last ferry to the island, so he swam to the island so he wouldn’t miss the opening ceremonies. When asked why he enrolled to their school, his reply is to “Do something amazing!”, “A fabulous school life!”. When Wako suggests singing, Takuto emphatically agrees, quoting his grandfather: “You want to sing out yer youth, ya go to the Southern Island!”. Takuto enrolled into Southern Cross High School on his grandfathers recommendation, and is happy that he is able to meet people like Wako and Sugata. Sugata interrupts the conversation, asking Takuto if he has had his first kiss yet (enabling a very embarrassed Wako). Takuto excitedly replies that it’s one of defining moments on his list of things to accomplish. When Sugata suggests to Takuto that he already had his first kiss (via CPR from Wako) it’s too much for her and she leaves the dining room, but not before Takuto thanks her. One of the maids informs Takuto that Wako is betrothed to Sugata. He asks the maid if Mouth-to-Mouth counts as a kiss.

– At the school, Wako is looking at her class assignments, when she is tackled by her friend Ruri Makina, when she (and every female in the area) begins to swoon over the sight of Takuto. A somewhat jealous Ruri introduces herself to Takuto.

– Watching from behing are two male students. One of them comments about Takuto’s friendly relationship with the “South Maiden”, aka Wako. They wonder if Takuto is a transfer student.

– Later that night, in one of the dorms, Takuto is staring at a painting of a girl on a beach staring at the horizon. When Sugata asks Takuto about the picture, Takuto tells him that his father was the painter. Takuto thinks his father is on the island. Takuto asks where Wako is, Sugata replies that she’s ‘purifying herself”, as she is one of four maidens on the island. Meanwhile, Wako is doing just that.
When Takuto comments about her betrothal to Sugata, Sugata comments that while it’s his family’s custom to marry a maiden, he believes in today’s times, one should be free to pursue thier own love. He’s aware of Wako’s interest in Takuto, yet he was inviting Takuto to dinner anyway.

– Takuto gets called to a new student meeting where the RA, Benio Shinada delivers a lecture on the rules for the students, which gets interrupted when one the male students from earlier (Tetsuya) in the morning teases about her breaking the rules that she is giving the lecture about. The other student, George Honda, suggests to Takuto that he joins the boxing team. Benio interrupts the conversation with a last rule to the new students: Don’t enter the abandoned Gold Mine behind the school.

– Later that night a Benio is inside the gold Mine riding in an elevator.
She meets up with George and Tetsuya and salutes them, addressing each other as the Holy Order of Glittering Stars.

B PART

– A captured Shrine Maiden activates a Cybody using the term “Approvise” (Lat. “I Release”).
The man overseeing the operation proclaims that this will usher in a new age. He then strikes the Maiden with the Star Sword Diamant
By breaking the Shrine Maiden’s seal, they can connect the Cybercasket to the Cybody.

– Wako is in her room when she gets startled. Stepping outside, she gets captured by Gerorge in his Glittering Stars uniform.

– Meanwhile, Sugata is practicing his martial arts, wondering about Takuto’s intentions for coming to the school.

– Takuto is at the gate trying to sneak into the gold mine. When he notices people approaching, he hides in the bushes.
When Takuto sees George and Tetsuya carrying a unconscious Wako into the mine, he blows his cover. After a short fight, he’s knocked out by George.

– While Takuto and Wako are held inside the lair of the Holy Order of Glittering Stars”, the order is debating over how quickly their plan has sped along, while George declares his intent to become a Second Phase Star Driver Candidate.

– In another section of the lair, two men (Head & Ryousuke Katashiro) are also suggesting that they speed up the plan, so they don’t upset their sponsor. They also talk about Takuto’s residency at Sugata’s house whether it has anything to do with his search for his father. When Ryousuke tries to light up a cigarette, Head tells him not to, because the Shrine Maiden is nearby. The Maiden from earlier is asked to sing a song which she does.

– When Wako tries to get Takuto to wake up, she gets taken by Tetsuya to open up her Cybody. Meanwhile, George enters the Cybercasket, which is transported to the top of a large structure. The responding Cybody is transformed into the Alephist.
Takuto finally wakes up and tries to rescue Wako (While still tied up). However, since he doesn’t possess the special mask that the members of the Glittering Stars wear, he cannot follow them as they enter Zero Time, along with George and the Alephist.

– In Zero Time, Geroge is about to “crush” Wako, when Takuto appears, surprising everyone as he shouldn’t posess the ability to enter Zero Time. Takuto summons his Cybody, Taburn and defeats George singlehandedly, rescuing Wako in the process.

– Back in normal time, George is expelled from the Star Driver Class.

– In a different location, Takuto and Wako are sitting on a giant stone hand, when Wako’s stomach growls. They start laughing.

——- FIRST IMPRESSIONS ——-

– Much better than I expected. Never would have expected so many Magical Girl tropes would fit seamlessly in a robot show.

– The show is well animated, even for BONES standards.

– Unless you read some promo materials, the second half of the episode will confuse viewers.

– The art design for the show is very Utena-esque, and very colorful. It’s nice to see a production placing a empahsis on color, compared to the more drab color design that I’ve been seeing for most shows this season alone.

– As the fourth lead role that I ‘ve seen Mamoru Miyano cast in, Takuto might be the best fit for him, due to sheer amounts hot bloodedness and Takuto’s jovial personality.

——- THE VERDICT ——-

GOOD. An exciting first episode that compels you to come back for seconds.